History Stores

Stores

The old time residents of Horsham Township can still remember Wes Freas’ Store on Easton Road Just south of Meetinghouse Road. 0. P. Smith had had the store for close to 50 years before Wes Freas, Absalom Michener had operated the store from 1840 to 1857, so the store was somewhat of a landmark in the eastern part of the township. It was a large general store, having a varied stock of hardware, kitchen utensils, crockery, fabrics and sewing notions. A candy case was prominent with licorice at 5 strands for a penny. Coffee was ground by hand, and when a customer came to buy molasses, he brought his own Jar. Coal oil was sold as fuel for lamps, and was a popular cleaning fluid. In the back of the store was a shoe department where readymade shoes were stacked in boxes. Sam Smith, a brother of 0. P. Smith had a shoe business for years in the store.

The store served as a community meeting place; a sort of ‘social club’ for the older men who would gather there to discuss the events of the day. The store also served as the post office of Horshamville.

After the Horsham Fire Company was founded in 1914, the iron tire which was used as an alarm was placed in front of the store. Wes Freas or one of his sons would wield the hammer to sound the alarm after a fire call came through at the telephone in the store.

North on Easton Road, near the intersection of Maple Avenue was another store. Its location is noted on a map of the township dated 1860. In the 1920’s Charles Carr owned this store which was primarily a grocery store.

A general store was located at the corner of Governor and Privet Roads in the village of Davis Grove. In 1848 the store was owned by Charles Jarrett and in 1871 by T. Kerbugh. (Kerbaugh?) In the early years of the twentieth century, Joseph Stackhouse owned this store. The store also served as the post office of Davis Grove.

Prospectville, at the junction of Horsham Road and Limekiln Pike was a thriving village by the middle of the nineteenth century. In 1826 a store was located at this corner. In 1848 N. B. Johnson owned the store. C. B. Reading owned and operated the store in the last part of the nineteenth century and served as Postmaster of Prospectville.